= Coca.-ähnlich + in Wüste. gebraucht;
Flowers smell strongly of decaying meat, and
are pollinated by flies. It is known as the “stinky” plant with “miraculous”
properties. Several Hoodia spp. are eaten raw/used as appetite and thirst
suppressants to treat indigestion, hypertension, diabetes, and stomaches.
Hoodia spp. are used as a convenient emergency food and moisture source in
harsh arid environments. As food, the spines
are scraped off the succulent stems and the
stems are eaten.
Sold in the supermarkets and shops all across
the US.
Other Hoodia species also are reported to have
similar applications. For instance, H. gordonii () is eaten fresh, and is used
as an appetite-suppressant by shepherds.
It was shown that H. gordonii extract was able
to induce weight loss or control appetite in mammals, and these extracts were
dominated by chlorogenic acid and a sterol glycoside.
Extracts have been reported to control obesity
and in the treatment of related health conditions including syndrome x.
H. officinalis has been used to treat
pulmonary tuberculosis and hemorrhoids. H. pilifera is also edible, suppresses
thirst and hunger and is used in brandy tinctures, as a stomachic, and to treat
hemorrhoids and pulmonary tuberculosis. In
African traditional medicine H. currori is also used to treat diabetes.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR) in South Africa investigated the plant’s effect and
demonstrated in animal studies that an extract from the plant was highly
effective in
reducing weight.
In 1997, the CSIR approached a company
(Phytopharm, UK) to collaborate in the development of a prescription drug with
the active ingredient P57. At one point Phytopharm had signed a licensing
agreement with Pfizer who would have marketed P57 in the rest of the world
(Habeck 2002). Maintaining intellectual property rights and providing benefits
to the indigenous peoples who provided the traditional knowledge that led to
the scientific discovery is a rather complex and entangled issue. Other issues
facing the Hoodia industry and regions where it is cultivated are; difficulty
in meeting consumer demand due to slow growth of this species; adulteration of
commercial products with other Hoodia and non-Hoodia species; and using
sustainable cultivation and harvesting practices.
Vergleich: Siehe: Gentianales + Sukkulenten + Sonne
und Luftgruppe
Allerlei: Botswana in Kalahariwüste
Phytologie: Appetit hemmend/Ausdauer fördernd
Vorwort/Suchen Zeichen/Abkürzungen Impressum